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Balconi M, Rovelli K, Angioletti L, Allegretta RA. Working Memory Workload When Making Complex Decisions: A Behavioral and EEG Study. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:5754. [PMID: 39275665 PMCID: PMC11397910 DOI: 10.3390/s24175754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is crucial for adequate performance execution in effective decision-making, enabling individuals to identify patterns and link information by focusing on current and past situations. This work explored behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) WM correlates through a novel decision-making task, based on real-life situations, assessing WM workload related to contextual variables. A total of 24 participants performed three task phases (encoding, retrieval, and metacognition) while their EEG activity (delta, theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands) was continuously recorded. From the three phases, three main behavioral indices were computed: Efficiency in complex Decision-making, Tolerance of Decisional Complexity, and Metacognition of Difficulties. Results showed the central role of alpha and beta bands during encoding and retrieval: decreased alpha/beta activity in temporoparietal areas during encoding might indicate activation of regions related to verbal WM performance and a load-related effect, while decreased alpha activity in the same areas and increased beta activity over posterior areas during retrieval might indicate, respectively, active information processing and focused attention. Evidence from correlational analysis between the three indices and EEG bands are also discussed. Integration of behavioral and metacognitive data gathered through this novel task and their interrelation with EEG correlates during task performance proves useful to assess WM workload during complex managerial decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Balconi
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Katia Rovelli
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Angioletti
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta A Allegretta
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
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Studenova A, Forster C, Engemann DA, Hensch T, Sanders C, Mauche N, Hegerl U, Loffler M, Villringer A, Nikulin V. Event-related modulation of alpha rhythm explains the auditory P300-evoked response in EEG. eLife 2023; 12:RP88367. [PMID: 38038725 PMCID: PMC10691803 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Evoked responses and oscillations represent two major electrophysiological phenomena in the human brain yet the link between them remains rather obscure. Here we show how most frequently studied EEG signals: the P300-evoked response and alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) can be linked with the baseline-shift mechanism. This mechanism states that oscillations generate evoked responses if oscillations have a non-zero mean and their amplitude is modulated by the stimulus. Therefore, the following predictions should hold: (1) the temporal evolution of P300 and alpha amplitude is similar, (2) spatial localisations of the P300 and alpha amplitude modulation overlap, (3) oscillations are non-zero mean, (4) P300 and alpha amplitude correlate with cognitive scores in a similar fashion. To validate these predictions, we analysed the data set of elderly participants (N=2230, 60-82 years old), using (a) resting-state EEG recordings to quantify the mean of oscillations, (b) the event-related data, to extract parameters of P300 and alpha rhythm amplitude envelope. We showed that P300 is indeed linked to alpha rhythm, according to all four predictions. Our results provide an unifying view on the interdependency of evoked responses and neuronal oscillations and suggest that P300, at least partly, is generated by the modulation of alpha oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Studenova
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Max Planck School of CognitionLeipzigGermany
| | - Carina Forster
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Denis Alexander Engemann
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd.BaselSwitzerland
| | - Tilman Hensch
- LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Psychology, IU International University of Applied SciencesErfurtGermany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
| | - Christian Sanders
- LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
| | - Nicole Mauche
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
| | - Ulrich Hegerl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany
| | - Markus Loffler
- LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Vadim Nikulin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience BerlinBerlinGermany
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Mohd Firdaus Aloysius N, Abd Hamid AI, Mustafar F. Alpha and Low Gamma Embedded With White Noise Binaural Beats Modulating Working Memory among Malaysian Young Adult: A Preliminary fMRI Study. JANUARY 2023 2023; 19:113-124. [DOI: 10.47836/mjmhs.19.1.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Binaural beats (BB) provisions alpha and gamma have been suggested to modulate working memory (WM), while white noise (WN) acted as a control condition. Methods: The current study overlays WN on alpha and gamma tones to study its modulating role on WM performance. A block-design n-back task paradigm used to determine the effect of load on embedded BB on WM performance using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Six young adults (3 males and 3 females) with mean age of 23.5 ± 0.84 within the Kota Bharu vicinity participated in the study. A repeated-measures ANOVA (p<0.05) on response accuracy indicate medium effect size on condition (η2 =0.420), and large effect sizes on groups (η2 = 0.388) and load (η2 = 0.487). The potential practical difference is more evident on low- (0-back) and high-load (3-back). GWN provision marginally excels, implying its entrainment may benefit WM processing. A repeated-measures ANOVA (p<0.05) on reaction time (RT) implied a large effect size on all variables (condition: η2=0.065, groups: η2=0.227 and load: η2=0.169). It was observed that BB exposure elicits a slow processing speed which worsens RT. The neural correlates suggest activated regions in GWN and AWN are associated with attentional mechanisms and WM processes. Conclusion: Preliminary findings indicate both embedded BB has a potential to improve WM performance with the cost of slower processing speed. GWN provision modulates attentional mechanisms benefiting WM performance and AWN may enhance performance in extreme ends of WM load.
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Caballero-Sánchez U, Román-López TV, Silva-Pereyra JF, Polo-Romero AY, Romero-Hidalgo S, Méndez-Díaz M, Prospéro-García OE, Ruiz-Contreras AE. Brain electrophysiological responses associated with the retrieval of temporal and spatial contexts in episodic memory. Behav Brain Res 2022; 435:114057. [PMID: 35970253 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory allows us to remember three main elements regarding an event: what (it is), where (it is in space), and when (it appears). The brain's electrical activity signaling the occurrence of these processes has been studied separately, revealing different patterns of ERP components and changes in the EEG theta band amplitude. However, how these patterns signal the retrieval of the temporal and spatial contexts of the same episode is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ERP components and the EEG theta band in association to the retrieval of the what, where, and when of the same episode through a source memory task. Three types of trials were identified here: total retrieval (what, where, and when), spatial retrieval (what and where), and correct rejections (correctly identified as new items). Attentional components, N200 and P300, and theta band were sensitive to the amount of information retrieved from episodic memory. Total retrieval and spatial trials elicited higher mean amplitude of FN400 and LPC, familiarity and recollection markers, respectively, than correct rejections. Our results suggest that early attention mechanisms can discern the strength of retrieval; in turn, familiarity and recollection mechanisms participate in the retrieval of the main contexts of episodic memory, but not in a cumulative way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulises Caballero-Sánchez
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Talía V Román-López
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Juan F Silva-Pereyra
- Unidad de Investigación Interdisciplinaria en Ciencias de la Salud y la Educación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Angela Y Polo-Romero
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra Romero-Hidalgo
- Departamento de Genómica Computacional, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico
| | - Mónica Méndez-Díaz
- Lab. Cannabinoides, Depto. Fisiología, Fac. Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Alejandra E Ruiz-Contreras
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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Borhani S, Zhao X, Kelly MR, Gottschalk KE, Yuan F, Jicha GA, Jiang Y. Gauging Working Memory Capacity From Differential Resting Brain Oscillations in Older Individuals With A Wearable Device. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:625006. [PMID: 33716711 PMCID: PMC7944100 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.625006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory is a core cognitive function and its deficits is one of the most common cognitive impairments. Reduced working memory capacity manifests as reduced accuracy in memory recall and prolonged speed of memory retrieval in older adults. Currently, the relationship between healthy older individuals’ age-related changes in resting brain oscillations and their working memory capacity is not clear. Eyes-closed resting electroencephalogram (rEEG) is gaining momentum as a potential neuromarker of mild cognitive impairments. Wearable and wireless EEG headset measuring key electrophysiological brain signals during rest and a working memory task was utilized. This research’s central hypothesis is that rEEG (e.g., eyes closed for 90 s) frequency and network features are surrogate markers for working memory capacity in healthy older adults. Forty-three older adults’ memory performance (accuracy and reaction times), brain oscillations during rest, and inter-channel magnitude-squared coherence during rest were analyzed. We report that individuals with a lower memory retrieval accuracy showed significantly increased alpha and beta oscillations over the right parietal site. Yet, faster working memory retrieval was significantly correlated with increased delta and theta band powers over the left parietal sites. In addition, significantly increased coherence between the left parietal site and the right frontal area is correlated with the faster speed in memory retrieval. The frontal and parietal dynamics of resting EEG is associated with the “accuracy and speed trade-off” during working memory in healthy older adults. Our results suggest that rEEG brain oscillations at local and distant neural circuits are surrogates of working memory retrieval’s accuracy and processing speed. Our current findings further indicate that rEEG frequency and coherence features recorded by wearable headsets and a brief resting and task protocol are potential biomarkers for working memory capacity. Additionally, wearable headsets are useful for fast screening of cognitive impairment risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheil Borhani
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Xiaopeng Zhao
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Margaret R Kelly
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Karah E Gottschalk
- Center on Gerontology, School of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Department of Audiology, Nova Southeastern University, Florida, FL, United States
| | - Fengpei Yuan
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Gregory A Jicha
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Yang Jiang
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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Beppi C, Ribeiro Violante I, Scott G, Sandrone S. EEG, MEG and neuromodulatory approaches to explore cognition: Current status and future directions. Brain Cogn 2021; 148:105677. [PMID: 33486194 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Neural oscillations and their association with brain states and cognitive functions have been object of extensive investigation over the last decades. Several electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) analysis approaches have been explored and oscillatory properties have been identified, in parallel with the technical and computational advancement. This review provides an up-to-date account of how EEG/MEG oscillations have contributed to the understanding of cognition. Methodological challenges, recent developments and translational potential, along with future research avenues, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Beppi
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Inês Ribeiro Violante
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (C3NL), Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom.
| | - Gregory Scott
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (C3NL), Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Stefano Sandrone
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (C3NL), Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Pavlov YG, Kotchoubey B. Oscillatory brain activity and maintenance of verbal and visual working memory: A systematic review. Psychophysiology 2020; 59:e13735. [PMID: 33278030 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain oscillations likely play a significant role in the storage of information in working memory (WM). Despite the wide popularity of the topic, current attempts to summarize the research in the field are narrative reviews. We address this gap by providing a descriptive systematic review, in which we investigated oscillatory correlates of maintenance of verbal and visual information in WM. The systematic approach enabled us to challenge some common views popularized by previous research. The identified literature (100 EEG/MEG studies) highlighted the importance of theta oscillations in verbal WM: frontal midline theta enhanced with load in most verbal studies, while more equivocal results have been obtained in visual studies. Increasing WM load affected alpha activity in most studies, but the direction of the effect was inconsistent: the ratio of studies that found alpha increase versus decrease with increasing load was 80/20% in the verbal WM domain and close to 60/40% in the visual domain. Alpha asymmetry (left < right) was a common finding in both verbal and visual WM studies. Beta and gamma activity studies yielded the least convincing data: a diversity in the spatial and frequency distribution of beta activity prevented us from making a coherent conclusion; gamma rhythm was virtually neglected in verbal WM studies with no systematic support for sustained gamma changes during the delay in EEG studies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri G Pavlov
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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